Device pairing in a local network

ABSTRACT

Particular embodiments described herein provide for an electronic device that can be configured to receive registration data for a local network device, receive registration data for an electronic device, receive a request to pair the local network device and the electronic device, where the request to pair the devices includes a pairing code, and allow the pairing if the registration data for the local network device, the registration data for the electronic device, and the pairing code satisfies predetermined conditions. In an example, the pairing code was to the local network device and the electronic device requested and received the pairing code from the local network device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application is a continuation (and claims the benefit of priorityunder 35 U.S.C. § 120) of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/752,898, filedJun. 27, 2015, entitled “DEVICE PAIRING IN A LOCAL NETWORK,” InventorsGerman Lancioni, et al., which claims the benefit of priority under 35U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/154,874, entitled“DEVICE PAIRING IN A LOCAL NETWORK” filed in the U.S. Patent Office onApr. 30, 2015. The disclosures of the prior applications are consideredpart of (and are incorporated in their entirety by reference in) thedisclosure of this application.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates in general to the field of information security,and more particularly, to device pairing in a local network.

BACKGROUND

The field of network security has become increasingly important intoday's society. The Internet has enabled interconnection of differentcomputer networks all over the world. In particular, the Internetprovides a medium for exchanging data between different users connectedto different computer networks via various types of client devices.While the use of the Internet has transformed business and personalcommunications, it has also been used as a vehicle for maliciousoperators to gain unauthorized access to computers and computer networksand for intentional or inadvertent disclosure of sensitive information.

Malicious software (“malware”) that infects a host computer may be ableto perform any number of malicious actions, such as stealing sensitiveinformation from a business or individual associated with the hostcomputer, propagating to other host computers, and/or assisting withdistributed denial of service attacks, sending out spam or maliciousemails from the host computer, etc. In addition, a malicious operatorthat gains access to a system may be able to steal sensitive informationor perform any number of other malicious actions. Hence, significantadministrative challenges remain for protecting computers and computernetworks from malicious and inadvertent exploitation by malicioussoftware or malicious operators.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To provide a more complete understanding of the present disclosure andfeatures and advantages thereof, reference is made to the followingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, whereinlike reference numerals represent like parts, in which:

FIG. 1A is a simplified block diagram of a communication system fordevice pairing in a local network in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 1B is a simplified block diagram of a communication system fordevice pairing in a local network in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of a communication system fordevice pairing in a local network in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of a communication system fordevice pairing in a local network in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a simplified timing flow diagram illustrating potentialoperations that may be associated with the communication system inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a simplified flowchart illustrating potential operations thatmay be associated with the communication system in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example computing system thatis arranged in a point-to-point configuration in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 7 is a simplified block diagram associated with an example ARMecosystem system on chip (SOC) of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example processor core inaccordance with an embodiment.

The FIGURES of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, as theirdimensions can be varied considerably without departing from the scopeof the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS Example Embodiments

The following detailed description sets forth example embodiments ofapparatuses, methods, and systems relating to a communication system fordevice pairing in a local network. Features such as structure(s),function(s), and/or characteristic(s), for example, are described withreference to one embodiment as a matter of convenience; variousembodiments may be implemented with any suitable one or more of thedescribed features.

FIG. 1A is a simplified block diagram of a communication system 100 afor device pairing in a local network in accordance with an embodimentof the present disclosure. Communication system 100 a can include anelectronic device 102, one or more local network devices 104 a and 104b, cloud services 106, and a server 108. Electronic device 102 and oneor more local network devices 104 a and 104 b can communicate with eachother using local network 110 a. Electronic device 102, local networkdevices 104 a and 104 b cloud services 106, server 108, and localnetwork 110 a can communicate with each other using network 112.

Electronic device 102 can include a processor 114 a, memory 116 a, awireless module 118, and a pairing module 120 a. Pairing module 120 acan include a device identification (ID) 122 a, a local network ID 124,and a temporal pairing code 126 a. Local network device 104 a caninclude a processor 114 b, memory 116 b, wireless module 118, andpairing module 120 b. Pairing module 120 b can include a device ID 122b, local network ID 124, and a temporal pairing code 126 b. Localnetwork device 104 b can include a processor 114 c, memory 116 c,wireless module 118, and pairing module 120 c. Pairing module 120 c caninclude a device ID 122 c, local network ID 124, and a temporal pairingcode 126 c. Cloud services can include a network pairing module 146 a.Network pairing module 146 a can include a temporal pairing codegeneration module 128 a. Server 108 can include a network pairing module146 b. Network pairing module 146 b can include a temporal pairing codegeneration module 128 b.

Turning to FIG. 1B, FIG. 1B is a simplified block diagram of acommunication system 100 b for device pairing in a local network inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Communicationsystem 100 b can include local network 110 b. Local network 110 b caninclude cloudlet 130. Cloudlet 130 can include local network pairingmodule 132. Local network pairing module 132 can include local temporalpairing code generation module 134.

Elements of FIGS. 1A and 1B may be coupled to one another through one ormore interfaces employing any suitable connections (wired or wireless),which provide viable pathways for network (e.g., local networks 110 aand 110 b and network 112) communications. Additionally, any one or moreof these elements of FIGS. 1A and 1B may be combined or removed from thearchitecture based on particular configuration needs. Communicationsystem 100 a may include a configuration capable of transmission controlprotocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) communications for the transmissionor reception of packets in a network. Communication system 100 a and 100b may also operate in conjunction with a user datagram protocol/IP(UDP/IP) or any other suitable protocol where appropriate and based onparticular needs.

In an example, communication system 100 a and 100 b can be configured toinclude a system that allows for device pairing in a local network. Inan illustrative example, initially, temporal pairing codes 126 a-126 care not on or known to electronic device 102 or local network devices104 a and 104 b. Also, once obtained from cloud services 106 or server108 in the case of communication system 100 a and from local temporalpairing code generation module 134 in the case of communication system100 b, temporal pairing codes 126 a-126 c are not persistently stored inelectronic device 102 or local network devices 104 a and 104 b. When auser wants to pair electronic device 102 and local network devices 104 aor 104 b, temporal pairing codes 126 a-126 c can be obtained from cloudservices 106 or server 108 in the case of communication system 100 a andfrom local temporal pairing code generation module 134 in the case ofcommunication system 100 b, and used to securely pair electronic device102 and local network devices 104 a or 104 b. In an embodiment, anynumber of secondary devices may be used, with each secondary deviceobtaining their own unique temporal pairing code. Each temporal pairingcode (e.g., temporal pairing code 126 a-126 c) can change every timeelectronic device 102 or local network device 104 a or 104 b moves to adifferent network (e.g. moving from a home Wi-Fi network to a work Wi-Finetwork). When electronic device 102 or local network device 104 a or104 b moves to a different network, a re-registration (e.g., with cloudservices 106) is made. Cloud services 106 and server 108 can beconfigured to not only include network pairing module 146 a but also amap between registered devices, assigned temporal pairing codes, andnetwork identifications and uses the information and data to determineif devices should be pair or linked.

For purposes of illustrating certain example techniques of communicationsystem 100 a and 100 b, it is important to understand the communicationsthat may be traversing the network environment. The followingfoundational information may be viewed as a basis from which the presentdisclosure may be properly explained.

End users have more communications choices than ever before. A number ofprominent technological trends are currently afoot (e.g., more computingdevices, more connected devices, etc.). One current trend is commonlyknown as the Internet of Things (IoT). Generally, IoT is a network ofphysical objects or “things” embedded with electronics, software,sensors, and connectivity to enable each device to achieve greater valueand service by exchanging data with the manufacturer, operator, and/orother connected devices. Each IoT or network device is uniquelyidentifiable through its embedded computing system but is able tointeroperate within the existing Internet infrastructure and a network.

The growing demand for IoT devices for home and industrial applicationsis also incrementing the need to connect these with remote devices tomonitor and command them (through dashboards or controllerapplications). For example, an owner's smartphone needs to be connectedto a home surveillance camera in order to get access to a homesurveillance camera video stream. Currently, the discovery andconnection (understood as gaining access) between the IoT device and thesmartphone is not simple nor secure. For example, a typical scenario toconnect a IoT device can include activating the device, locating thedevice's IP address, navigating to the IP address, and logging on with afactory default username and password. Current known solutions aresimply based on access control through username and password, which arepre-configured by manufacturers before shipping. The user is in chargeof figuring out the IP address of the IoT device and entering thedefault credentials in order to get access to the IoT device.Alternative solutions are typically based on a Bluetooth® connection, inwhich the user must discover IoT devices and enter a PIN (again, adefault one provided by the manufacturer) to pair the devices. Thesemethods present security risks because of the pre-configured account(e.g. user=admin and password-=admin) and a large portions of the usersdo not change the account username and password after first login. Inaddition, these methods are often complicated for home users, which maynot have the technical background to install and configure the IoTdevice. Unfortunately, this can cause several problems as the loT deviceis fully operational when activated and anybody can access the IoTdevice and there is typically not an exclusive relationship between onedevice and any other device. These issues and other allow for asometimes difficult and unsecured pairing of IoT devices in a localnetwork.

There are alternative solutions which do not cover the discovery ofdevices but just the pairing. This kind of solutions are based on useraccounts and cloud services to match the devices. However, the user mustcreate an account and login on both devices (e.g. smartphone and IoTdevice) to later create the relationship between two. This kind ofsolution is not suitable for IoT devices since IoT devices are usuallydisplayless or have limited input. Therefore, configuring a user accountis not always possible. In addition, cloud services typically requirethe user to create a particular user account for each vendor and theuser may not remember every account password, or even worse, will usethe same password for all the accounts and security will be considerablyimpacted.

A communication system for device pairing in a local network, asoutlined in FIGS. 1A and 1B, can resolve these issues (and others). Incommunication system 100 a and 100 b, to pair devices in a localnetwork, the system can be configured to find and establish a securelink between a consumer/commander device (e.g. smartphone) and an IoTdevice (provider/actuator device) by the inclusion of a variation of anetwork service discovery protocol hardened by the usage of a cloudsecurity checkpoint. Communication system 100 a can include a cloudservice which acts as a security checkpoint and a variation of a networkservice discovery protocol that includes encryption during the dataexposure step and a set of contextual rules and verifications that mustbe met by the involved devices. Communication system 100 b can include acloudlet in a local network that acts as the security checkpoint. In anexample, communication systems 100 a and 100 b can be compliant with theessential definition of an IoT device by being based on a Wi-Fiinfrastructure that is already in place. In addition, communicationsystems 100 a and 100 b can be configured to not require extra hardwaresuch as Bluetooth® or NFC®, not require expert user interaction with theIoT device during the discovery and linking process, be conceived tooperate alone or as an extra layer on top of preexisting solutions (e.g.besides the factory generic credentials), and provide security from thebeginning and reduce the chances of unauthorized access to the IoTdevice.

One implementation of communication systems 100 a and 100 b can besuitable for smart home applications, since it provides the necessarymechanism to securely link IoT home appliances with controller devicessuch as smartphones and tablets, all coexisting in the same localenvironment and delimited by the home Wi-Fi network. Communicationsystem 100 a and 100 b can also be suitable for industry purposes,providing a convenient and secure way for technicians to discover andlink with IoT devices at factories. Communication system 100 a and 100 bcan be configured such that there are no security gaps at the timewindow between the IoT device installation and the user's first access.Non-authorized access to IoT devices can be avoided when the user forgotto change the default factory login credentials (e.g. admin/admin).

Turning to the infrastructure of FIGS. 1A and 1B, communication systems100 a and 100 b in accordance with an example embodiment is shown.Generally, communication systems 100 a and 100 b can be implemented inany type or topology of networks. Local network 110 a and 110 b andnetwork 112 represent a series of points or nodes of interconnectedcommunication paths for receiving and transmitting packets ofinformation that propagate through communication systems 100 a and 100b. Local networks 110 a and 110 b and network 112 offers a communicativeinterface between nodes, and may be configured as any local area network(LAN), virtual local area network (VLAN), wide area network (WAN),wireless local area network (WLAN), metropolitan area network (MAN),Intranet, Extranet, virtual private network (VPN), and any otherappropriate architecture or system that facilitates communications in anetwork environment, or any suitable combination thereof, includingwired and/or wireless communication.

In communication systems 100 a and 100 b, network traffic, which isinclusive of packets, frames, signals (analog, digital or anycombination of the two), data, etc., can be sent and received accordingto any suitable communication messaging protocols. Suitablecommunication messaging protocols can include a multi-layered schemesuch as Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, or any derivations orvariants thereof (e.g., Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol(TCP/IP), user datagram protocol/IP (UDP/IP)). Additionally, radiosignal communications (e.g., over a cellular network) may also beprovided in communication systems 100 a and 100 b. Suitable interfacesand infrastructure may be provided to enable communication with thecellular network.

The term “packet” as used herein, refers to a unit of data that can berouted between a source node and a destination node on a packet switchednetwork. A packet includes a source network address and a destinationnetwork address. These network addresses can be Internet Protocol (IP)addresses in a TCP/IP messaging protocol. The term “data” as usedherein, refers to any type of binary, numeric, voice, video, textual, orscript data, or any type of source or object code, or any other suitableinformation in any appropriate format that may be communicated from onepoint to another in electronic devices and/or networks. Additionally,messages, requests, responses, and queries are forms of network traffic,and therefore, may comprise packets, frames, signals, data, etc.

In an example implementation, electronic device 102, local networkdevices 104 a and 104 b, cloud services 106, and server 108 are networkelements, which are meant to encompass network appliances, servers,routers, switches, gateways, bridges, load balancers, processors,modules, or any other suitable device, component, element, or objectoperable to exchange information in a network environment. Networkelements may include any suitable hardware, software, components,modules, or objects that facilitate the operations thereof, as well assuitable interfaces for receiving, transmitting, and/or otherwisecommunicating data or information in a network environment. This may beinclusive of appropriate algorithms and communication protocols thatallow for the effective exchange of data or information.

In regards to the internal structure associated with communicationsystems 100 a and 100 b, each of electronic device 102, local networkdevices 104 a and 104 b, cloud services 106, and server 108 can includememory elements for storing information to be used in the operationsoutlined herein. Each of electronic device 102, local network devices104 a and 104 b, cloud services 106, and server 108 may keep informationin any suitable memory element (e.g., random access memory (RAM),read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electricallyerasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), application specific integratedcircuit (ASIC), non-volatile memory (NVRAM), magnetic storage,magneto-optical storage, flash storage (SSD), etc.), software, hardware,firmware, or in any other suitable component, device, element, or objectwhere appropriate and based on particular needs. Any of the memory itemsdiscussed herein should be construed as being encompassed within thebroad term ‘memory element.’ Moreover, the information being used,tracked, sent, or received in communication systems 100 a and 100 bcould be provided in any database, register, queue, table, cache,control list, or other storage structure, all of which can be referencedat any suitable timeframe. Any such storage options may also be includedwithin the broad term ‘memory element’ as used herein.

In certain example implementations, the functions outlined herein may beimplemented by logic encoded in one or more tangible media (e.g.,embedded logic provided in an ASIC, digital signal processor (DSP)instructions, software (potentially inclusive of object code and sourcecode) to be executed by a processor, or other similar machine, etc.),which may be inclusive of non-transitory computer-readable media. Insome of these instances, memory elements can store data used for theoperations described herein. This includes the memory elements beingable to store software, logic, code, or processor instructions that areexecuted to carry out the activities described herein.

In an example implementation, network elements of communication systems100 a and 100 b, such as electronic device 102, local network devices104 a and 104 b, cloud services 106, and server 108 may include softwaremodules (e.g., pairing modules 120 a-120 c, network pairing modules 146a and 146 b, local network pairing module 132, local temporal pairingcode generation module 134, etc.) to achieve, or to foster, operationsas outlined herein. These modules may be suitably combined in anyappropriate manner, which may be based on particular configurationand/or provisioning needs. In some embodiments, such operations may becarried out by hardware, implemented externally to these elements, orincluded in some other network device to achieve the intendedfunctionality. Furthermore, the modules can be implemented as software,hardware, firmware, or any suitable combination thereof. These elementsmay also include software (or reciprocating software) that cancoordinate with other network elements in order to achieve theoperations, as outlined herein.

Additionally, each of electronic device 102, local network devices 104 aand 104 b, cloud services 106, and server 108 may include a processorthat can execute software or an algorithm to perform activities asdiscussed herein. A processor can execute any type of instructionsassociated with the data to achieve the operations detailed herein. Inone example, the processors could transform an element or an article(e.g., data) from one state or thing to another state or thing. Inanother example, the activities outlined herein may be implemented withfixed logic or programmable logic (e.g., software/computer instructionsexecuted by a processor) and the elements identified herein could besome type of a programmable processor, programmable digital logic (e.g.,a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an EPROM, an EEPROM) or an ASICthat includes digital logic, software, code, electronic instructions, orany suitable combination thereof. Any of the potential processingelements, modules, and machines described herein should be construed asbeing encompassed within the broad term ‘processor.’

Electronic device 102 can be a network element and includes, forexample, desktop computers, laptop computers, mobile devices, personaldigital assistants, smartphones, tablets, wearables, or other similardevices. Local network devices 104 a and 104 b can be a network elementand includes, for example, laptop computers, mobile devices, personaldigital assistants, smartphones, tablets, wearables, IoTs, or othersimilar devices. Cloud services 106 is configured to provide cloudservices to electronic device 102 and local network devices 104 a and104 b. Cloud services may generally be defined as the use of computingresources that are delivered as a service over a network, such as theInternet. The services may be distributed and separated to providerequired support for electronic device 102, local network devices 104 aand 104 b, and cloud services 106. Typically, compute, storage, andnetwork resources are offered in a cloud infrastructure, effectivelyshifting the workload from a local network to the cloud network. Server108 can be a network element such as a server or virtual server and canbe associated with clients, customers, endpoints, or end users wishingto initiate a communication in communication system 100 a via somenetwork (e.g., network 112). The term ‘server’ is inclusive of devicesused to serve the requests of clients and/or perform some computationaltask on behalf of clients within communication systems 100 a. Althoughnetwork pairing modules 146 a and 146 b are represented in FIG. 1 asbeing located in cloud services 106 and server 108 respectively, this isfor illustrative purposes only. Network pairing modules 146 a and 146 bcould be combined or separated in any suitable configuration.Furthermore, network pairing modules 146 a and 146 b could be integratedwith or distributed in another network accessible by electronic device102 and local network devices 104 a and 104 b.

Turning to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of a portion ofcommunication system 100 a for device pairing in a local network inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustratedin FIG. 2, electronic device 102 may be a smartphone and local networkdevice 104 a may be a smart thermostat. A router 136 can create localnetwork 110 a to provide a communication link between electronic device102 and local network device 104 a. Router 136 may be a Wi-Fi router incommunication with cloud services 106 through network 112 (not shown

At first, both electronic device 102 and local network device 104 a aretemporarily registered with cloud services 106 using their own device IDand the Wi-Fi SSID/BSSID of router 136 as registration scope. In anexample, the BSSID is unique on each access point of the network. TheBSSID can be used by network pairing module 146 a to verify if thedevices involved in the pairing are present in the same local network atthe same time. If for any reason, a device changes from one Wi-Fi SSIDto another, the registration is invalidated and devices would need to bepaired again.

After registration, local network device 104 a can request a temporalpairing code (TPC) from cloud services 106. This code has a shorttime-to-live (e.g., 5 minutes). With this TPC, local network device 104a can expose itself through domain name system (DNS) service discoveryor a multi-cast DNS. The payload of the package in the DNS can includean encrypted TPC (using a variation of the NSD protocol supportingencryption).

Electronic device 102 can start the discovery of local network device104 a through DNS service discovery. Once local network device 104 a isfound, the TPC is extracted from the package's payload. To establish thelink with local network device 104 a, electronic device 102 executes arequest to cloud services 106 by sending the TPC. Cloud services 106 canverify that the TPC is valid and belongs to previously registered localnetwork device 104 a and that both devices are under the same scope(e.g., under the same SSID and time frame). If conditions are satisfiedfor pairing, cloud services 106 can authorize a link between thedevices. If a link is authorized, cloud services 106 can push a linkorder to local network device 104 a, stating that from now on, localnetwork device 104 a will be commanded by electronic device 102 andlocal network device 104 a will only respond to or allow operationsrelated to linked electronic device 102.

Turning to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of a portion ofcommunication system 100 a for device pairing in a local network inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustratedin FIG. 3, a malicious device 144 can be prevented from pairing withlocal network device 104 a. At first, both local network device 104 aand malicious device 144 are temporarily registered with cloud services106 using their own device ID. Local network device 104 a can includedthe Wi-Fi SSID/BSSID of router 136 as its registration scope andmalicious device 144 can include the Wi-Fi SSID/BSSID of second router140 as its registration scope. In this example, because the Wi-Fi SSIDfor local network device 104 a is different than the Wi-Fi SSID formalicious device 144, the pairing of the two devices will not beallowed. In addition, if electronic device 102 moves from local network110 a to another local network 142 and tries to link with local networkdevice 104 a which is still located in local network 110 a, then thelink will be denied by network pairing module 146 a in cloud services106, because the scope of electronic device 102 does not match with thescope of local network device 104 a. The scope in this example is thelocal network identification (e.g. Wi-Fi unique BSSID and the temporalpairing code which must not be expired at the time the link isrequested)

Turning to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is an example timing flow diagram illustratingpossible operations that may be associated with device pairing in alocal network, in accordance with an embodiment. In an embodiment,electronic device 102 and local network device 104 a communicate atemporal registration to cloud services 106. Local network device 104 acan communicate a request for a temporal pairing code from cloudservices 106 and cloud services 106 can send a temporal pairing code tolocal network device 104 a. Electronic device 102 can start localnetwork discovery (e.g., through NSD) and local network device 104 a canexpose itself to the network using an encrypted temporal pairing codethrough NSD. Electronic device 102 can discover and acquire the temporalpairing code from local network device 104 a and send a request for alink between the devices to cloud services 106. Cloud services 106 canverify the temporal pairing code scope and if the temporal pairing codescope is valid, then cloud services 106 can authorize a link betweenelectronic device 102 and local network device 104 a. Cloud services 106can communicate a link order to electronic device 102 and local networkdevice 104 a.

Turning to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is an example flowchart illustrating possibleoperations of a flow 500 that may be associated with device pairing in alocal network, in accordance with an embodiment. In an embodiment, oneor more operations of flow 500 may be performed by one or more ofpairing modules 120 a-120 c, network pairing modules 146 a and 146 b,and local network pairing module 132. At 502, a local network device isregistered using a network pairing module. At 504, an electronic deviceis registered using the network pairing module. At 506, a request tolink the local network device and the electronic device is communicatedto the network pairing module. At 508, the system determines if the linkrequest includes the proper data and information. For example, the linkrequest should include the proper temporal pairing codes and Wi-Fi SSID.In an example, the temporal pairing code can change every time theelectronic device or the local network device moves to a differentnetwork (e.g. moving from a home Wi-Fi network to a work or public Wi-Finetwork). When a device moves to a different network, a re-registration(e.g., with cloud services 106) must be made. Cloud services 106 andserver 108 can include a map between registered devices, assignedtemporal pairing codes, and network identifications and use theinformation and data to determine if the devices should be paired orlinked. If the system determines that the link request does include theproper data and information, then the link request is allowed, as in510. If the system determines that the link request does not include theproper data and information, then the link request is not allowed, as in512.

Turning to FIG. 6, FIG. 6 illustrates a computing system 600 that isarranged in a point-to-point (PtP) configuration according to anembodiment. In particular, FIG. 6 shows a system where processors,memory, and input/output devices are interconnected by a number ofpoint-to-point interfaces. Generally, one or more of the networkelements of communication system 100 may be configured in the same orsimilar manner as computing system 600.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, system 600 may include several processors, ofwhich only two, processors 670 and 680, are shown for clarity. While twoprocessors 670 and 680 are shown, it is to be understood that anembodiment of system 600 may also include only one such processor.Processors 670 and 680 may each include a set of cores (i.e., processorcores 674A and 674B and processor cores 684A and 684B) to executemultiple threads of a program. The cores may be configured to executeinstruction code in a manner similar to that discussed above withreference to FIGS. 1-5. Each processor 670, 680 may include at least oneshared cache 671, 681. Shared caches 671, 681 may store data (e.g.,instructions) that are utilized by one or more components of processors670, 680, such as processor cores 674 and 684.

Processors 670 and 680 may also each include integrated memorycontroller logic (MC) 672 and 682 to communicate with memory elements632 and 634. Memory elements 632 and/or 634 may store various data usedby processors 670 and 680. In alternative embodiments, memory controllerlogic 672 and 682 may be discrete logic separate from processors 670 and680.

Processors 670 and 680 may be any type of processor and may exchangedata via a point-to-point (PtP) interface 650 using point-to-pointinterface circuits 678 and 688, respectively. Processors 670 and 680 mayeach exchange data with a chipset 690 via individual point-to-pointinterfaces 652 and 654 using point-to-point interface circuits 676, 686,694, and 698. Chipset 690 may also exchange data with a high-performancegraphics circuit 638 via a high-performance graphics interface 639,using an interface circuit 692, which could be a PtP interface circuit.In alternative embodiments, any or all of the PtP links illustrated inFIG. 6 could be implemented as a multi-drop bus rather than a PtP link.

Chipset 690 may be in communication with a bus 620 via an interfacecircuit 696. Bus 620 may have one or more devices that communicate overit, such as a bus bridge 618 and I/O devices 616. Via a bus 610, busbridge 618 may be in communication with other devices such as akeyboard/mouse 612 (or other input devices such as a touch screen,trackball, etc.), communication devices 626 (such as modems, networkinterface devices, or other types of communication devices that maycommunicate through a computer network 660), audio I/O devices 614,and/or a data storage device 628. Data storage device 628 may store code630, which may be executed by processors 670 and/or 680. In alternativeembodiments, any portions of the bus architectures could be implementedwith one or more PtP links.

The computer system depicted in FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of anembodiment of a computing system that may be utilized to implementvarious embodiments discussed herein. It will be appreciated thatvarious components of the system depicted in FIG. 6 may be combined in asystem-on-a-chip (SoC) architecture or in any other suitableconfiguration. For example, embodiments disclosed herein can beincorporated into systems including mobile devices such as smartcellular telephones, tablet computers, personal digital assistants,portable gaming devices, etc. It will be appreciated that these mobiledevices may be provided with SoC architectures in at least someembodiments.

Turning to FIG. 7, FIG. 7 is a simplified block diagram associated withan example ARM ecosystem SOC 700 of the present disclosure. At least oneexample implementation of the present disclosure can include the devicepairing in a local network features discussed herein and an ARMcomponent. For example, the example of FIG. 7 can be associated with anyARM core (e.g., A-9, A-15, etc.). Further, the architecture can be partof any type of tablet, smartphone (inclusive of Android™ phones,iPhones™), iPad™, Google Nexus™, Microsoft Surface™, personal computer,server, video processing components, laptop computer (inclusive of anytype of notebook), Ultrabook™system, any type of touch-enabled inputdevice, etc.

In this example of FIG. 7, ARM ecosystem SOC 700 may include multiplecores 706-707, an L2 cache control 708, a bus interface unit 709, an L2cache 710, a graphics processing unit (GPU) 715, an interconnect 702, avideo codec 720, and a liquid crystal display (LCD) I/F 725, which maybe associated with mobile industry processor interface(MIPI)/high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) links that couple toan LCD.

ARM ecosystem SOC 700 may also include a subscriber identity module(SIM) I/F 730, a boot read-only memory (ROM) 735, a synchronous dynamicrandom access memory (SDRAM) controller 740, a flash controller 745, aserial peripheral interface (SPI) master 750, a suitable power control755, a dynamic RAM (DRAM) 760, and flash 765. In addition, one or moreembodiments include one or more communication capabilities, interfaces,and features such as instances of Bluetooth™ 770, a 3G modem 775, aglobal positioning system (GPS) 780, and an 802.11 Wi-Fi 785.

In operation, the example of FIG. 7 can offer processing capabilities,along with relatively low power consumption to enable computing ofvarious types (e.g., mobile computing, high-end digital home, servers,wireless infrastructure, etc.). In addition, such an architecture canenable any number of software applications (e.g., Android™, Adobe®Flash® Player, Java Platform Standard Edition (Java SE), JavaFX, Linux,Microsoft Windows Embedded, Symbian and Ubuntu, etc.). In at least oneexample embodiment, the core processor may implement an out-of-ordersuperscalar pipeline with a coupled low-latency level-2 cache.

FIG. 8 illustrates a processor core 800 according to an embodiment.Processor core 800 may be the core for any type of processor, such as amicro-processor, an embedded processor, a digital signal processor(DSP), a network processor, or other device to execute code. Althoughonly one processor core 800 is illustrated in FIG. 8, a processor mayalternatively include more than one of the processor core 800illustrated in FIG. 8. For example, processor core 800 represents oneexample embodiment of processors cores 674 a, 674 b, 684 a, and 684 bshown and described with reference to processors 670 and 680 of FIG. 6.Processor core 800 may be a single-threaded core or, for at least oneembodiment, processor core 800 may be multithreaded in that it mayinclude more than one hardware thread context (or “logical processor”)per core.

FIG. 8 also illustrates a memory 802 coupled to processor core 800 inaccordance with an embodiment. Memory 802 may be any of a wide varietyof memories (including various layers of memory hierarchy) as are knownor otherwise available to those of skill in the art. Memory 802 mayinclude code 804, which may be one or more instructions, to be executedby processor core 800. Processor core 800 can follow a program sequenceof instructions indicated by code 804. Each instruction enters afront-end logic 806 and is processed by one or more decoders 808. Thedecoder may generate, as its output, a micro operation such as a fixedwidth micro operation in a predefined format, or may generate otherinstructions, microinstructions, or control signals that reflect theoriginal code instruction. Front-end logic 806 also includes registerrenaming logic 810 and scheduling logic 812, which generally allocateresources and queue the operation corresponding to the instruction forexecution.

Processor core 800 can also include execution logic 814 having a set ofexecution units 816-1 through 816-N. Some embodiments may include anumber of execution units dedicated to specific functions or sets offunctions. Other embodiments may include only one execution unit or oneexecution unit that can perform a particular function. Execution logic814 performs the operations specified by code instructions.

After completion of execution of the operations specified by the codeinstructions, back-end logic 818 can retire the instructions of code804. In one embodiment, processor core 800 allows out of order executionbut requires in order retirement of instructions. Retirement logic 820may take a variety of known forms (e.g., re-order buffers or the like).In this manner, processor core 800 is transformed during execution ofcode 804, at least in terms of the output generated by the decoder,hardware registers and tables utilized by register renaming logic 810,and any registers (not shown) modified by execution logic 814.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 8, a processor may include otherelements on a chip with processor core 800, at least some of which wereshown and described herein with reference to FIG. 6. For example, asshown in FIG. 6, a processor may include memory control logic along withprocessor core 800. The processor may include I/O control logic and/ormay include I/O control logic integrated with memory control logic.

Note that with the examples provided herein, interaction may bedescribed in terms of two, three, or more network elements. However,this has been done for purposes of clarity and example only. In certaincases, it may be easier to describe one or more of the functionalitiesof a given set of flows by only referencing a limited number of networkelements. It should be appreciated that communication systems 100 a and100 b and their teachings are readily scalable and can accommodate alarge number of components, as well as more complicated/sophisticatedarrangements and configurations. Accordingly, the examples providedshould not limit the scope or inhibit the broad teachings ofcommunication system 100 and as potentially applied to a myriad of otherarchitectures.

It is also important to note that the operations in the preceding flowdiagrams (i.e., FIGS. 4 and 5) illustrate only some of the possiblecorrelating scenarios and patterns that may be executed by, or within,communication systems 100 a and 100 b. Some of these operations may bedeleted or removed where appropriate, or these operations may bemodified or changed considerably without departing from the scope of thepresent disclosure. In addition, a number of these operations have beendescribed as being executed concurrently with, or in parallel to, one ormore additional operations. However, the timing of these operations maybe altered considerably. The preceding operational flows have beenoffered for purposes of example and discussion. Substantial flexibilityis provided by communication systems 100 a and 100 b in that anysuitable arrangements, chronologies, configurations, and timingmechanisms may be provided without departing from the teachings of thepresent disclosure.

Although the present disclosure has been described in detail withreference to particular arrangements and configurations, these exampleconfigurations and arrangements may be changed significantly withoutdeparting from the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, certaincomponents may be combined, separated, eliminated, or added based onparticular needs and implementations. Additionally, althoughcommunication systems 100 a and 100 b have been illustrated withreference to particular elements and operations that facilitate thecommunication process, these elements and operations may be replaced byany suitable architecture, protocols, and/or processes that achieve theintended functionality of communication systems 100 a and 100 b.

Numerous other changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, andmodifications may be ascertained to one skilled in the art and it isintended that the present disclosure encompass all such changes,substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications as fallingwithin the scope of the appended claims. In order to assist the UnitedStates Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and, additionally, anyreaders of any patent issued on this application in interpreting theclaims appended hereto, Applicant wishes to note that the Applicant: (a)does not intend any of the appended claims to invoke paragraph six (6)of 35 U.S.C. section 112 as it exists on the date of the filing hereofunless the words “means for” or “step for” are specifically used in theparticular claims; and (b) does not intend, by any statement in thespecification, to limit this disclosure in any way that is not otherwisereflected in the appended claims.

Other Notes and Examples

Example C1 is at least one machine readable medium having one or moreinstructions that when executed by at least one processor cause the atleast one processor to receive registration data for a local networkdevice, receive registration data for an electronic device, receive arequest to pair the local network device and the electronic device,where the request include a pairing code; and allow the pairing if theregistration data for the local network device, the registration datafor the electronic device, and the pairing code satisfies predeterminedconditions.

In Example C2, the subject matter of Example C1 can optionally includewhere the registration data for the local network device and theregistration data for the electronic device includes temporal data.

In Example C3, the subject matter of any one of Examples C1-C2 canoptionally include where the instructions, when executed by the at leastone processor, further cause the at least one processor to send apairing code to the local network device and receive the pairing codefrom the electronic device.

In Example C4, the subject matter of any one of Examples C1-C3 canoptionally include where the electronic device requested and receivedthe pairing code from the local network device.

In Example C5, the subject matter of any one of Examples C1-C4 canoptionally include where the pairing code is encrypted before being sentfrom the local network device.

In Example C6, the subject matter of any one of Examples C1-C5 canoptionally include where the temporal pairing code is not persistentlystored on the local network device or on the electronic device.

In Example C7, the subject matter of any one of Example C1-C6 canoptionally include where the registration data for the local networkdevice and the registration data for the electronic device includeslocal network identification.

In Example C8, the subject matter of any one of Examples C1-C7 canoptionally include where the pairing is not allowed if the local networkidentification in the registration data for the local network device andin the registration data for the electronic device does not match.

In Example A1, an apparatus can include a pairing module, where thepairing module is configured to receive registration data for a localnetwork device, receive registration data for an electronic device,receive a request to pair the local network device and the electronicdevice where the request include a pairing code, and allow the pairingif the registration data for the local network device, the registrationdata for the electronic device, and the pairing code satisfiespredetermined conditions.

In Example, A2, the subject matter of Example A1 can optionally includewhere the registration data for the local network device and theregistration data for the electronic device includes temporal data.

In Example A3, the subject matter of any one of Examples A1-A2 canoptionally include where the pairing module is further configured tosend the pairing code to the local network device and receive thepairing code from the electronic device.

In Example A4, the subject matter of any one of Examples A1-A3 canoptionally include where the electronic device requested and receivedthe pairing code from the local network device.

In Example A5, the subject matter of any one of Examples A1-A4 canoptionally include where the temporal pairing code is not persistentlystored on the local network device or on the electronic device.

In Example A6, the subject matter of any one of Examples A1-A5 canoptionally include where registration data for the local network deviceand the registration data for the electronic device includes localnetwork identification.

In Example A7, the subject matter of any one of Examples A1-A6 canoptionally include where the pairing is not allowed if the local networkidentification in the registration data for the local network device andin the registration data for the electronic device does not match.

Example M1 is a method including receiving registration data for a localnetwork device, receiving registration data for an electronic device,receiving a request to pair the local network device and the electronicdevice, where the request includes a pairing code, and allowing thepairing if the registration data for the local network device, theregistration data for the electronic device, and the pairing codesatisfies predetermined conditions.

In Example M2, the subject matter of Example M1 can optionally includewhere the registration data for the local network device and theregistration data for the electronic device includes temporal data.

In Example M3, the subject matter of any one of the Examples M1-M2 canoptionally include sending the pairing code to the local network deviceand receiving the pairing code from the electronic device, wherein theelectronic device requested and received the pairing code from the localnetwork device.

In Example M4, the subject matter of any one of the Examples M1-M3 canoptionally include where the pairing code is encrypted before being sentto the local network device.

In Example M5, the subject matter of any one of the Examples M1-M4 canoptionally include where the pairing code is not persistently stored onthe local network device or on the electronic device.

In Example M6, the subject matter of any one of the Examples M1-M5 canoptionally include where registration data for the local network deviceand the registration data for the electronic device includes localnetwork identification.

In Example M7, the subject matter of any one of the Examples M1-M6 canoptionally include where the pairing is not allowed if the local networkidentification in the registration data for the local network device andin the registration data for the electronic device does not match.

Example S1 is a system for pairing devices in a local network, thesystem including a pairing module, where the pairing module isconfigured to receive registration data for a local network device,receive registration data for an electronic device, receive a request topair the local network device and the electronic device, where therequest includes a pairing code, and allow the pairing if theregistration data for the local network device, the registration datafor the electronic device, and the pairing code satisfies predeterminedconditions.

In Example S2, the subject matter of Example S1 can optionally includewhere the registration data for the local network device and theregistration data for the electronic device includes temporal data.

In Example S3, the subject matter of any of the Examples S1-S2 canoptionally include where the pairing module is further configured tosend the pairing code to the local network device and receive thepairing code from the electronic device, wherein the electronic devicerequested and received the pairing code from the local network device.

Example X1 is a machine-readable storage medium includingmachine-readable instructions to implement a method or realize anapparatus as in any one of the Examples A1-A7, or M1-M7. Example Y1 isan apparatus comprising means for performing of any of the Examplemethods M1-M7. In Example Y2, the subject matter of Example Y1 canoptionally include the means for performing the method comprising aprocessor and a memory. In Example Y3, the subject matter of Example Y2can optionally include the memory comprising machine-readableinstructions.

1.-25. (canceled)
 26. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receive, from an electronic device, a request to pair the electronic device and a local network device; determine whether the local network device and the electronic device are present in the same local network at the same time by determining whether: (a) an SSID or BSSID for the local network of the electronic device matches an SSID or BSSID respectively for the local network of the local network device; and (b) a temporal pairing code (TPC) is not expired; and based on a determination that the local network device and the electronic device are present in the same local network at the same time because the SSIDs or BSSIDs match and that the TPC is not expired, allow the pairing.
 27. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, further comprising one or more instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: transmit, to the local network device, the TPC; and receive, from the electronic device, the TPC.
 28. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the electronic device requested and received the TPC from the local network device.
 29. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the TPC is encrypted before being sent from the local network device.
 30. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the TPC is not persistently stored on the local network device or on the electronic device.
 31. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the pairing is not allowed based on a determination that the SSIDs or BSSIDs do not match, or based on a determination that the TPC is expired.
 32. An apparatus, comprising: memory; and a hardware processor configured to: receive, from an electronic device, a request to pair the electronic device and a local network device; determine whether the local network device and the electronic device are present in the same local network at the same time by determining whether: (a) an SSID or BSSID for the local network of the electronic device matches an SSID or BSSID respectively for the local network of the local network device; and (b) a temporal pairing code (TPC) is not expired; and based on a determination that the local network device and the electronic device are present in the same local network at the same time because the SSIDs or BSSIDs match and that the TPC is not expired, allow the pairing.
 33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to: transmit, to the local network device, the TPC; and receive, from the electronic device, the TPC.
 34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the electronic device requested and received the TPC from the local network device.
 35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the TPC is not persistently stored on the local network device or on the electronic device.
 36. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the pairing is not allowed based on a determination that the SSIDs or BSSIDs do not match, or based on a determination that the TPC is expired.
 37. A method comprising: receiving, from an electronic device, a request to pair the electronic device and a local network device; determining whether the local network device and the electronic device are present in the same local network at the same time by determining whether: (a) an SSID or BSSID for the local network of the electronic device matches an SSID or BSSID respectively for the local network of the local network device; and (b) a temporal pairing code (TPC) is not expired; and based on a determination that the local network device and the electronic device are present in the same local network at the same time because the SSIDS or BSSIDs match and that the TPC is not expired, allowing the pairing.
 38. The method of claim 37, further comprising: transmitting, to the local network device, the TPC; and receiving, from the electronic device, the TPC.
 39. The method of claim 37, wherein the TPC is encrypted before being sent to the local network device.
 40. The method of claim 37, wherein the TPC is not persistently stored on the local network device or on the electronic device.
 41. The method of claim 37 wherein the pairing is not allowed based on a determination that the SSIDs or BSSIDs do not match, or based on a determination that the TPC is expired.
 42. A system for pairing devices in a local network, the system comprising: memory; and a hardware processor configured to: receive, from an electronic device, a request to pair the electronic device and a local network device; determine whether the local network device and the electronic device are present in the same local network at the same time by determining whether: (a) an SSID or BSSID for the local network of the electronic device matches an SSID or BSSID respectively for the local network of the local network device; and (b) a temporal pairing code (TPC) is not expired; and based on a determination that the local network device and the electronic device are present in the same local network at the same time by determining whether the SSIDs or BSSIDs match and that the TPC is not expired, allow the pairing.
 43. The system of claim 42, further comprising: transmit, to the local network device, the TPC; and receive, from the electronic device, the TPC.
 44. The system of claim 42, wherein the electronic device requested and received the TPC from the local network device.
 45. The system of claim 42, wherein the pairing is not allowed based on a determination that the SSIDs or BSSIDs do not match, or based on a determination that the TPC is expired. 